HBF+Europe: Minority Co-production Support

HBF+Europe offers minority co-production support to European producers to participate in high-quality feature films by talented filmmakers from countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and certain countries in Eastern Europe. The funding is designed for international co-productions, in which at least one European and one non-European producer is involved. For more details, see here.

The applicant should be a production company that is constituted and active for at least two years in a country participating in Creative Europe Media including the list of non-EU Participating Countries, and owned – directly or by majority participation – by nationals from such countries. The track record of the applicant should demonstrate a (majority or minority) participation in at least two completed feature films, including one international or European co-produced feature film.

The applicant should apply with a project by an eligible filmmaker and main producer (i.e. a with a nationality from and who lives in one of the countries mentioned on the HBF list of eligible countries)

Yes. To ensure that the applying producer can have a significant creative input in the project it is not possible to apply with an HBF+Europe application if shooting has already started. Since the results of the selection will only be announced three months after the deadline, we can only accept applications that go into production three months after the application deadline.

As of 2022, it is mandatory to include an environmental sustainability strategy in the HBF+Europe: Minority Co-production Support application dossier. The committee will assess the feasibility of the strategy to ensure a more environmentally-respectful film production and in what way the producer(s) aim(s) to reduce the carbon footprint of the project. The innovative aspects of this environmental sustainability strategy will also be assessed.

The assessment of each project is based on pre-formulated criteria and scores will be given on each main selection criteria, with a maximum score of 100 points. A maximum of 15 points can be given out towards the environmental sustainability strategy. You can read more in the Award criteria to be found on this page. 

The committee assessing the projects consists of members from Europe and outside Europe, each with a distinct and relevant expertise and experience within the film industry. Projects that meet the formal criteria for eligibility will be further assessed based on the entry form, additional documents and visual material. An assessment form based on pre-formulated criteria is used and scores will be given on each main selection criteria, with a maximum score of 100 points. Please refer to this page for the Award criteria for more detailed information. 

Upon request, an overview of the average score can be provided, as well as feedback from the HBF-staff.

No, there is no possibility to appeal this decision.

Yes, it can be combined with all other HBF schemes.

No. Projects cannot receive funding twice for co-production from similar co-production programmes funded by Creative Europe. These programmes are:

- Berlinale: WCF Europe Programme
- Torino Film Lab: Coproduction Fund
- IDFA: IDFA Bertha Fund Europe

It is also not possible to combine the HBF+Europe: Minority Co-production Support with HBF+Europe: Post-production Support.

Should you have applied to HBF+Europe: Minority Co-production Support and one of these programmes, please notify us.

Due to the HBF’s financial obligations, the conditions and requirements as mentioned in the HBF+Europe contract need to be finished by a given date. This means that a final version of the film has been delivered and all payments and reports have been made 12 months after the application deadline. Please consider you must submit to us a final expenditure plan of the HBF+Europe grant, accorded by an external auditor. The premiere of the film may take place at a later date, as long as the HBF has received all deliverables on time.

An application for HBF+Europe: Minority Co-production Support has to be requested before the start of production and has to be spend on production and post-production costs. An application for HBF+Europe: Post-production Support has to be requested after the production has started and can only be spent on post-production costs.